


Young

by written_art



Series: A Semblance of Reality [1]
Category: RWBY, Sword Art Online
Genre: First Impressions, Prejudice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-07 22:22:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11068305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/written_art/pseuds/written_art
Summary: Ruby Rose was too young for Beacon Academy. There was absolutely no reason to turn Weiss's four-person team into an unprecedented five-student ensemble and to make exception after exception for the sickly-looking girl whose "potential" would apparently be wasted anywhere else. No "unique situation" would justify her presence and the girl in no way deserved the special treatment everyone seemed determined to bestow on her.





	Young

She was young. The short girl who had been abruptly assigned to their team was too young. She was bubbly and out of shape and  _ too young!  _ So what if she was Yang’s sister and had amazing control of her semblance? It shouldn’t have mattered that in combat she exuded unwieldy determination and startling technique. She was just a prodigy with a little back-bone and a good teacher. She was green and inexperienced and physically unprepared to even  _ think _ about becoming a huntress. The girl could barely lift her weapon! How could she think she’d be able to keep up with the students at Beacon if she wasn’t strong enough to use her prefered blade properly? For all her technique and ingenuity the girl might have  _ tried _ to wield that sythe and build up some muscle. But, no! The girl was frail, almost sickly! If she thought that a  _ huntress _ could get away with not exercising and training her body she was too young and immature to attend Beacon at all, let alone a year early. What was the headmaster  _ thinking _ making her part of a team?

And why this team anyway? There were already four members and Beacon didn’t  _ have  _ five-person teams. Because of Yang? Why should that matter? If she couldn’t handle going to school alone then how was she going to make it in a dangerous career that required quick thinking and the ability to adjust to any situation? Big sister can’t always step in and save the day! If the girl couldn’t survive here on her own then she  _ shouldn’t be here _ . She was nowhere near good enough and wasn’t even  _ trying _ . Seriously! It’s like she’s not worried about the rigorous course load or the older students’ inevitable superiority in combat! She just smiled and laughed along with her sister, not giving a single thought to anything!

When Weiss was first told that team BLYW was getting a new member she was apprehensive but curious. After all, these kinds of things didn’t happen at Beacon. Teams were made of four students and there were no exceptions, at least there didn’t used to be. However, if this new team member  _ was _ an exception, then he or she had to be exception _ al _ \- had to be worthy of the special treatment. When Yang had given the anomaly a name and short description Weiss was tentatively optimistic. Sure, it was weird, but that didn’t mean it was  _ bad _ .

 

_ “Girls, I have some important news. Your team is gaining a member in two weeks.” _

_ “ _ What _? Who?” _

_ “My little sister. Ruby. She’s… been through a lot recently. She’s a really good fighter and a little obsessed with weapons. She’s always wanted to be a huntress, even when she was little. She’s a good person and a good friend. You’ll like her.” _

_ “Okay, fine. But why is she coming to Beacon  _ now,  _ in the middle of the school year? And why is she joining  _ our _ team? I’ve never heard about this happening before.” _

_ “You’re quite right. Beacon has never done this before, but Headmaster Ozpin has decided that given the circumstances this is the best solution. Ruby is in a rather unique situation after a series of events last year had… unpleasant consequences. She will be attending classes just like everyone else at Beacon. Not studying here, or even finishing her education at Signal Academy would be a waste of potential and harmful to her future.” _

 

Now, Weiss wasn’t so sure. The girl who walked through the door and was instantly surrounded by a squealing Yang didn’t exactly look like Beacon material. She was short, but Weiss could forgive that. She was young, but Weiss had  _ expected _ for her to be a little lacking in age. She was shy. Fine. Maybe that’s just part of her personality or maybe it was because of the “circumstances” and “unpleasant consequence” Professor Goodwitch had mentioned. What Weiss couldn’t accept was that the feeble, impotent,  _ fragile _ girl in front of her lived up to her was good enough, special enough, to warrant this kind of fuss. 

Her short hair was the darkest shade of red and looked freshly cut, but it was the only thing about Ruby Rose that was at all presentable. Her chalky white skin had an unhealthy pallor and no trace of the tan that her sister sported. She looked like she hadn’t gone near sunshine in months on end. Even if you assumed they took after different parents, the contrast was telling. Weiss could actually  _ see _ the blood vessel in her hands and arms. Her body was unhealthily slim and any strength it ever possessed seemed to have abandoned her.

Looking at her Weiss's immediate thought was illness. There was no way a young girl could be so decrepit and healthy at the same time. But. If Ruby was sick then she would never be able to keep up at a battle school and Professor Goodwitch had mentioned something about Ruby going to Signal in the past. Maybe she’d taken a year off for treatment? It’d explain Ruby’s “circumstances” and why she’d spent so much time indoors. Except then why would the headmaster want Ruby’s education to be expedited? It’d make more sense to hold her back a grade than have her skip one. They couldn’t expect her to exhibit the same degree of adequacy and equal older students if she hadn’t fought in a year. An injury was just as illogical and wouldn’t justify the “waste of potential” comment. There was no explanation, Weiss supposed, besides the “unique situation” Professor Goodwitch referenced. What kind of situation would validate a sickly girl’s advancement to a rigorous and strenuous battle school Weiss couldn’t fathom, but nor could she agree that this could ever be a good idea.

The first time Weiss saw her fight she nearly changed her mind. The girl moved amazingly, too quickly for Weiss to track. She was a whirlwind of petals dancing around the grimm at astonishing speeds. Each motion was necessary, no extra arm gestures or causeless steps or superfluous swing of her scythe. That had been a surprise, the scythe, but it was well crafted, maintained and used so Weiss had no criticisms. The fight had been a quick one, and it was entirely one-sided. It lasted at most ninety second but probably fewer in all honesty. She used her semblance extraordinarily and with perfect control. Weiss didn’t have that kind of mastery and she’d been practicing her whole life. It raised the question of where Rucy had learned to do that even as it answered a second query: why being anywhere but Beacon would waste Ruby’s potential. But the contest also revealed another point that was at least as important. While every action was beneficial and constructive, what Ruby made up with in speed she lacked in physical power. Even raising her weapon seemed to strain Ruby, though it was strange that her custom-made scythe would be too heavy, and when the end came her arms were shaking almost imperceptibly. She was panting too. Skill aside, Ruby wasn’t ready for battle school. Her body wasn’t ready for combat and the kind strength it lacked could not be reclaimed overnight. Still, it seemed odd that the grimm buckled under her blows like there was power behind them. 

She got along with the others well enough. Obviously Yang wouldn't have a problem with her, being sisters and all, but Blake didn't seem to mind the girl either. At first it was quiet whenever Ruby tried to start up a conversation, but eventually they got to the topic of books. Blake smiled at Ruby’s nïavete when the girl mentioned she wanted to be a fairytale hero, but it broke the ice and a friendship emerged. Lavender was the same way.

Despite the closeness Lavender and Weiss shared they were very different people. Yes, they were both heiress and raised under high society's scrutiny and they both lost a parent early in life, but that was where the similarities ended. Lavender was  _ royalty _ , or as close to royalty as someone could be theses days. Lavender’s family had a long history of politics and everyone knew that the ruling council was an inevitability for Lavender Amethystine. That said, she may not be cut out for it. Lavender was sweet tempered and kind, always ready to help with an encouragement on her tongue. She was nice to everyone, but was also one of Weiss's dearest friends. 

Weiss really shouldn't have been so offended when Lavender and Ruby hit it off immediately. Their personalities were similar, prompt and considerate. Neither seemed to have a problem endearing themselves to almost everyone they met. Still, when her best friend started spending more time with the new addition over her, Weiss felt the stab of jealousy and anger. Why was that girl even here? What had she ever done to  _ deserve _ Beacon and all that special treatment. She was weak. She could barely hoist her own weapon. She shouldn't  _ be here _ , the school Weiss had worked so hard to enroll in, the place where Weiss could finally feel like she belonged because she knew she'd earned her place. Ruby hadn't. She wasn't good enough to survive at a prestigious academy for heroes. Sure she was skilled. Yes she was capable. But she was too young, always running off on whims and never taking anything seriously. It made Weiss sick to see someone like that with Lavender, who was always so earnest and hopeful. 

She brought it up once. She asked Lavender what she saw in someone like Ruby. Asked what the girl could possibly have that made her so special that entitled her to so much attention and catering. Lavender had taken one look at Weiss, disappointment blatant in her eyes and said something that surprised Weiss. It was an observation, so utterly obvious that Weiss couldn't believe she had missed it. 

 

_ “Don't you think she’s sort of…  _ sad  _ all the time. When no one is looking and she thinks she can get away with it, she's not smiling or bouncing around. Instead she’s still, just sort of exists there, like she’s in too much pain to move and her heart hurts. Like she's seen and lost too much and is paralyzed. I...I think that whatever happened last year… I think big was really bad. Something about her just seems...broken.” _

Lavender was right. When Weiss glanced at Ruby out of the corner of her eye, if the girl wasn't engrossed in conversation or jumping around under her sister’s scrutiny, she was motionless. She was subdued and quiet and completely different from the hyper, eager movement that Weiss had come to associate with Ruby. The contrast was startling. When the sun had set and everyone else slept peacefully, Ruby had dreams. She twisted and turned and murmured muffled calls for people with names Weiss had never heard before. Sometimes it was fond chiding if “Kirito” had done something reckless or teasing “Lisbeth” about her crush. But those nights were rare. Instead nightmares plagued Ruby. More often than not her mumbled phrases were “stop” or “not there” or “behind you!” Words that sounded like “respawn,” “teleport gate” and “boss” were common too, but Weiss couldn't imagine what they might mean. 

The more Weiss looked the more she saw. Ruby was rapidly improving. She looked healthier everyday and her skin was slowly losing its bone-yellow tinge. She was getting stronger too. That might have to do with the reason Ruby disappeared for roughly an hour each evening. She would slide up to Yang glance towards the door and whisper something about leaving or physical therapy and return at nightfall. 

Within a couple of months she could fight for longer than minutes at a time and she was moving easier. The first fight had taken Weiss so complex by surprise with Ruby’s efficiency and motion that it didn't occur to her how much Ruby's lack of strength was hindering her ability. She was still weak and Yang had to compensate for her sister when physical power was a factor. But that didn't really seem to be a huge problem anymore. Now Ruby could obliterate her opponents. The fights rarely lasted more than a minute and when they did you could usually tell that Ruby was holding back. She wouldn't run around as much, wouldn't surround her adversary in a tornado of roses and make decisive strikes. Instead she faced her challenger head on, blocking attacks she normally avoided. It was when she confronted the assaults that Weiss noticed, and she doubted she was alone. 

When Ruby met the powerful thrusts and strikes she stopped them despite her physical shortcomings. Ruby customarily side-stepped the weapons moving in her direction or angled her scythe so the blow was diverted from its target along the curve or handle. But when she wanted to, Ruby could halt a blade mid-onslaught. It almost looked like she was testing her strength when she did it, which would make sense. Of course Ruby would want to measure her power against someone else, to see what options she had in a fight. Knowing you can actually keep the blade rushing towards you from touching and  _ killing _ you was important when getting into position to attack. Except. Ruby was still weak. Her arms didn't shake when she raised her scythe anymore, but she still shouldn't have been able to match or surpass the power behind those strikes. But she could and did. 

Maybe it was her speed. She put her entire body behind her weapon when she moved at impossible speeds to meet a thrust. Didn't Weiss's tutors teach her that force equaled one half mass times velocity squared? Wouldn't that mean that the speed Ruby’s blade was moving when it collided with her opponent’s contributed  _ exponentially  _ to the force of her counter? That must have been it, even if her perry sometimes seemed to already be where the blow was going to land before the attacker moved. It had to be. Because Weiss had never heard of any other explanation. Because Weiss had never seen anything  _ resembling _ the faint glow that occasionally encompassed  _ Crescent Rose _ , as Ruby called her scythe. Because a person only had one semblance and Ruby’s was her speed. She  _ had _ to be imagining the light that had absolutely nothing to do with Ruby’s inexplicable power.

Sometimes, especially early on, when Ruby was done sparring she'd do something strange. Walking off the arena, she'd smile into Yang’s congratulatory hug then step away to put away her weapon. Standing there, scythe resting in her left hand, Ruby would bring her right thumb and first two fingers together then pull down. She’d be distracted as she did it, responding to Yang’s praise or the occasional comment by Blake or Lavender, but the second she completed the action and looked down to the place beside her hand her smile would fade. Yang would fall silent for a second before she continued speaking. Usually something unrelated and hopeful to distract them both from what just happened. Just once, when they were barely within earshot did Yang comment on it. Lavender and Blake had left already but Weiss was loitering. There was something she wanted to ask, though she wasn't sure what or even whom she'd question. But she was there, by accident or coincidence, and she heard their choked words and strangled voices. 

 

_ “Is it really that similar? I mean, I know it was full dive and you experienced everything like it was real, but can you really not tell sometimes? Isn't everything more vivid or detailed or something? Was it really… that close to reality?”  _

_ “... I guess? I mean, yeah, there are some differences. When I focus on the place just over your head I don't see a green cursor. The time isn't displayed in the upper left corner of my vision. The people. The grimm. My friends die less.” A humorless chuckle resounded before she began again. “I'm more likely to find irregularities, like squashed grass or rocks in the street. But. It wasn't just a game and it didn’t feel like one. It looked and felt like the real world. The only real difference is that  _ here _ there’s more limiting possible difficulties than the imagination of a sadistic psychopath.” _

 

Weiss knows after that. Not what happened or what  _ world _ they referenced. But she knows that whatever happened was serious. That it was horrible and life threatening and not to be taken lightly. Knows she was wrong. Ruby might be young. She might not have a lot of muscle or be physically strong. But she was an amazing fighter regardless. She was fast and capable and had survived something terrible. She was smart enough to get out of any scrape and diligent enough to improve, especially when her life depended on it. She’d make a good huntress, Weiss thinks idly, but probably an even better friend. They could both probably use another one of those. 


End file.
